"A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give"

-Laurel Atherton

I can not believe that my baby is 2. My baby!!! The one who was just born what seems like 2 minutes ago, is now two years old. Time just flew by the third time around.

My Emme girl has been such a joy in our lives, and our little sunshine. She is almost always happy and her smile lights up our hearts. After two boys, it is so wonderful to experience a girl. She is so different than her brothers. She sits back and watches more, observing, she is already turning into such a little mama and making sure everyone is okay and comfortable. She often comes up and just starts rubbing our backs or stroking my face with a look of concern as she asks "you ok, mama?". She loves her baby dolls and wearing everyone's shoes and carrying around "backpacks". But don't underestimate, this girl. She's a tough one. Maybe my toughest kid. I guess you have to be with 2 older brothers. As much as she has her quiet moments, she can hold her own in a wrestling match with her brothers. She is starting to become much more independent than her brothers were at this age. She hates the carseat, stroller, highchair, anything that restricts her. She's a big girl, and has places to go, she can't be slowed down or restrained.

Emma loves all things Moana and Poppy ("Trolls"). She loves her brothers so much and always wants to be with them. She adores her Daddy, and has him wrapped around her finger.

Emma is always always always dancing. I personally, can not wait to sign her up for dance lessons one day.

I love her crazy hair that no matter how much we tame it, it becomes unruly in no time. I hope her curls stay forever.

She is a sweet girl with a huge heart and so caring. She's a spitfire. She is a wonderful addition to our family.

Recently, I took her out to do her 2 year old pictures. And I will say, she loved every minute of being in a pretty dress and having some one-on-one time with her mama, hamming it up for the camera. These images truly capture who she is now. But my absolute favorites were when she was getting tired. When she began sucking her thumb and playing with her neck. This is something she always does, but I know it won't last forever. But it is something that I love about her.

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet baby girl!

We love you so much and we are so excited to watch you grow.

Quiet Side Photography specializes in simple, organic and timeless maternity, newborn, family and child portraiture in Loudoun County and throughout Northern Virginia. Including the cities of Purcellville, Round Hill, Ashburn, Leesburg, Hamilton, Berryville, Aldie, Fairfax, Reston, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax County and Washington DC.

I would love to create a custom portrait experience for you and your family. Contact me to begin planning your session.

Here are 10 Facts About Me you Probably Didn't Know (and maybe some you already did):

1. I am originally from New England, and moved to the DC metro area in 2012. I currently live in a small town in Western Loudoun County, and I truly love where I live. The mountains, the farms, the wineries...I love it all. But as much as I love it here, I feel most at home when I return to the rocky coasts of Maine. The majority of my family still lives on Coastal Maine, and I take any chance I can get to get back up there. I love hearing the crashing waves, smelling the salty air, and the muted colors of a foggy day. I feel most like myself, and most at peace when I'm sitting on the rocks next to the ocean.

2. The greatest thing that has ever happened to me was becoming a mother. I have 3 children (2 boys- ages 6 & 4, and a girl who is days away from turning 2). They are my everything. Not every day is easy, 3 young kids without any family nearby and a husband who works long hours and running a business, but they are worth it. So so so so worth it!!!! I can't imagine a day without them.

3. My husband and I met way back in high school. We went to different schools in the same town and had a lot of mutual friends. After school ended, we went our separate ways, and we re-met at a funeral of one of our mutual friends about 6 years later. The rest was history. Fun fact: My mother and step father re-met at a funeral too!

4. I am extremely sentimental. I love traditions and telling/hearing family stories, I love having mementos of my family's history around. My favorite personal items all have stories attach to them.

5. My most prized possessions are my Christmas ornaments. My mother started a tradition when I was born that each year I get a new ornament to open on Christmas Eve. I have continued this tradition with my children too, and pretty soon, we may need to have a second tree. We have a very specific way of wrapping them up each year, so I know what year I received them and by who (if different from my parents). Having the Christmas tree up with a lifetime of memories all over its branches, makes me so happy.

6. Other than Christmas, my other favorite holiday is the 4th of July! Probably because I have always spent it in Bar Harbor, ME with my family. When we were little, my cousins and I always dressed in matching outfits for the parade. And now that we are all 30 somethings- sometimes we still do :) Watching the parade, then having a lobster cookout with all of my extended family, and finishing the day with fireworks, makes my heart sing. I look forward to the 4th each year, and I always get very sad if I can't make it up to Bar Harbor for it. I love sharing this tradition with my children now too.

7. I love The Office! I probably know every line, and yet, it still cracks me up every single time I watch it!

8. I love Lilacs, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons because they remind me of my grandmothers. And I am excited to plant them in my garden in our new home

9. I am introverted. And even writing this blog makes me a little uncomfortable. I am much more comfortable behind the camera then in front of it. But I am trying to put myself more out there and out of my comfort area.

10. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. That's a lie, I always knew I wanted to be a mother. It was always my dream. But for work, outside of the home, I really struggled all growing up. Photography kind of fell into my lap. I always had a camera in my hands growing up and I always enjoyed taking pictures. I always loved looking through the family photo albums. I always surrounded myself with framed picture displays of my friends and family. But I never thought of a career in photography. And then I had my first child, and as cliche as it is, that is when my more serious photography journey began. Once I opened my business and developed friendships with other photographers and became part of this amazing community, it really clicked for me. This is where I belong. I love what I do. I love creating beautiful portraits to be cherished by your family for a lifetime. This is what I was meant to do.

So that is me, in a nutshell. And I would love to learn more about you and hopefully one day, photograph your beautiful family!

There are days in your life that shakes you to the core, that change who you are, that you know from this day forward, you will never be the same person as you were yesterday. These days are often surrounding birth and death. One of these days, for me, was June 13,2007. 11 years ago. When I was a naive girl in my mid-twenties who thought I knew it all and ready take the world by storm, when one phone call stopped me in my tracks. It was the day I lost my father. It has been 11 years, and I have learned to live in a world without him. It’s no longer a day of sadness,the raw emotion has faded. It’s now a day of reflection. My father & I did not have the best relationship and our mutual stubbornness hindered us from forgiveness and moving on and cost us so much precious time. So my psa today is to forgive, to love, and to be present in the moment. Because tomorrow is never promised. I know that this day, 11 years ago, shaped me in many ways including in my work. I think that is why I have chosen to photograph the beautiful relationship between a parent and a child. Because it is one of the most sacred relationships we will ever have. I’m not sharing this for sympathy, I am just sharing my truth. An inside look into my story. Today, for me, is a day of reflection, of remembrance, and of celebration of all the moments I am blessed to have with the ones I love.

This image of my father & me is my absolute favorite. Taken at our family lake house in Maine. It is one of the most sacred possessions I own.

Quiet Side Photography specializes in simple, organic and timeless maternity, newborn, family and child portraiture in Loudoun County and throughout Northern Virginia. Including the cities of Purcellville, Round Hill, Ashburn, Leesburg, Hamilton, Berryville, Aldie, Fairfax, Reston, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax County and Washington DC.

I would love to create a custom portrait experience for you and your family. Contact me to begin planning your session.

We are on full-on birthday mode here at my house. Which comes when I have all of my children at the same time of the year.

A few days ago, my son, Andrew, turned four. FOUR! I can not believe it. It feels like yesterday that I met my 9.5 lb baby boy with the most vibrant blue eyes for the first time. And now, he is such a big boy. Time is going by so quickly.

Andrew just finished up his year in pre-school and so excited to start Pre-K in the fall. I think he is most excited about being one of the big kids at school.

Andrew is my goofball. He is always trying to make me laugh and he loves being silly. He is my messiest child. He is typically covered head to toe in dirt and mud. An encounter with Andrew usually means that you too, will end up dirty. Andrew loves to dig in the dirt with his trucks and loves to build epic cities and play police all over the floor. He likes to have blankets over his head and constantly building forts. The boy does not sit still for long. He's always on the move. He is a bit mischievous and keeps me on my toes. But he is a mama's boy. He loves cuddle time and for me to sing to him (which says a lot, because I could be the worst singer on the planet). He's a caring little guy with the biggest heart. He loves when family comes to visit us, which isn't often, but when it happens Andrew will be attached to their legs always loving up on them and will talk about the visit everyday for months.

Andrew has really been interested in building. He loves stealing his brother's legos and making big creations with them. Typically a police station or boat, all with his imagination, and they are really good. He loves playing "city". He gets all his police guys out and all his police cars out and lets his imagination run wild. (The imagination explosion that happens around 4 is my favorite part about this stage).

This past weekend, we threw him a police birthday party. Lucky for us, one of our best friends is a police officer. He kindly put on his uniform and drove his cruiser over. The kids loved being about to check out the cruiser and when the lights & sirens were going. Officer Mike came in and talked to all the kids about what police officers do and why they are important and then all the kids got "sworn in" as actual police officers, themselves. Which was great fun! All the kids had a blast!

Right before his birthday, I took Andrew out for his yearly pictures. He is a typical photographer's kid who doesn't like to look at the camera, and he took a little time to warm up to his mom putting her camera in his face, but I do have to say, I was able to catch his personality at this season of his life perfectly. His mischievous grin, his bright blue eyes, his silliness, this is truly who Andrew is today.

Happy 4th Birthday, sweet boy!

Quiet Side Photography specializes in simple, organic and timeless maternity, newborn, family and child portraiture in Loudoun County and throughout Northern Virginia. Including the cities of Purcellville, Round Hill, Ashburn, Leesburg, Hamilton, Berryville, Aldie, Fairfax, Reston, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax County and Washington DC.

I would love to create a custom portrait experience for you and your family. Contact me to begin planning your session.